City comparison
Bridgeport, CT vs Rochester, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bridgeport, CT are 10.1% higher than in Rochester, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Rochester, NY would need about $110,100 in Bridgeport, CT to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,100 a month in Bridgeport, CT versus $1,256 in Rochester, NY. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Bridgeport, CT and 20% in Rochester, NY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $935 a year higher in Rochester, NY than in Bridgeport, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −14.5% moving from Bridgeport, CT to Rochester, NY ($125,431 → $107,182), while prices change by −9.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.9% in real buying power.
- Bridgeport, CT: price level 106.9 (pricier)
- Rochester, NY: price level 97.0 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bridgeport, CT | Rochester, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 106.9 | 97.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $90,802 in Rochester | $110,129 in Bridgeport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,100/mo | $1,256/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 33% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $61,470 | $51,210 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY |
Rent areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT MSA and Rochester, NY MSA. Metro areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT and Rochester, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bridgeport | Rochester |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 150.5 | 87.5 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 99.7 |
| Utilities | 147.1 | 133.2 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 97.8 |
| Overall | 106.9 | 97.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bridgeport, CT → Rochester, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.1%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$935/yr.
100 Strong offer
Rochester, NY → Bridgeport, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.2%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax −$935/yr.
27 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bridgeport, CT is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Rochester, NY is in Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY. The last column shows what a transfer from Bridgeport, CT to Rochester, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bridgeport, CT | Rochester, NY | Real change, Bridgeport → Rochester |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $62,155 | −5.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $75,202 | −5.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $90,135 | −5.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $107,182 | −5.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $126,657 | −5.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bridgeport, CT | Rochester, NY | Rochester pay in Bridgeport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,600 | $62,840 | $69,205 (−29.8%) |
| Software Developers | $162,650 | $122,770 | $135,206 (−16.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $102,020 | $80,890 | $89,084 (−12.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $105,660 | $86,570 | $95,339 (−9.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.